Welcome to the solid verbal. I'll that for me. I'm a man, I'm for I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy. You want to be happy for dake Edo state. Is that?
Woo woo?
And Dan and tie Aho follow.
Welcome aboard your two's cruise. This is your captain, Captain Ty hilden Brand joining me.
Did I do that right?
You?
I mean you did it very gus. Captain Jackish, which I think was very appropriate.
Joining me is Lieutenant Captain Dan Rubinstein a board here on the ship, Sir, how are you?
I'm great? And this I've just realized is not a nautical term, but it could be. Are you familiar with the term safe harbor? I am? So what to you? What does safe harbor mean?
Safe harbor means that you go to a place where you're safe and secure.
That seems reasonable. Yes, So in the broadcasting world, safe harbor hours I think between ten pm and six am, And even though we're not recording this after ten pm, we're recording it a good three hours after we normally would.
This is this is factually correct. So I'm gonna say, because it's two's cruise later than usual, I'm gonna say this qualifies for safe harbor hours, which is when you can if if you watch a TV show, there is going to be more violence or maybe a butt that's shown on their tie, or maybe it's just the nature of the theme on that TV show. If it's after ten PM, before six, they're not doing.
No no, no, hold on, We're not doing the Dennis Franz butt shot. Here are podcasting, right.
I'm just saying the rules are a little bit looser between in those safe harbor hours, sure, or maybe the safe harbor hours or before then, whatever it is. So I guess our first segment is called boat. I'm just kidding. I hope you believe that. I really do.
I'm gonna have I know we have families listening. I'm gonna have to bleep that. But this is twoes cruise after dark. Yes, in more ways than one. As you said, it's a little bit later. Normally when we record it's light out side, it's not at the moment. It's also sort of the darkness of the season. Now the sun is set on our season. We've got Bowl games that we're going to be talking about. By the way, you
can sign up for the soliverbo Bullpool. If you're listening to this, you want to go to soliverbal dot com slash pick them. It's an address you're familiar with because you used to go there weekend and week out to pick your games against the spread. Your ten games, Well, now you got forty one to pick. It's confidence style, so it's not against the points spread. We're going to be breaking down all of these games. We're still working out the schedule, but alas we're going to go through
all of them. Last year, I think we had like a thousand people.
Yeah, it was a good number.
It was a healthy number, so you're going to want to get in on that. Always a ton of fun. But we are back here for yet again, a two's cruise, bright and early Tuesday morning. Daniel, Shall we start with some news things going on before we get into our games.
I'd love to brick news. There's new coaches, there's transfer portal, they're bowl games. Where do you want to begin.
Let's start with some of the coaching news. A couple names here to read, and then maybe we can go through them and give some thoughts. USF gets Jeff Scott, the co offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for the Clemson Tigers.
I like that we're leading with the bulls. Great, awesome, let's do it.
Colorado State maybe Butch Jones, Yeah maybe. See Missouri makes it official with Eli Drinkwitz for me from app State, Yeah, Arkansas like fours for the Drinkwitz family. Saw going Sam Pittman bringing him back. Florida State announcing that it is hiring offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, an up and comer coming over from Auburn.
Yes, and was with Mike Norvell in Memphis and so is pretty well regarded and has experience with him. Odell Haggens also staying aboard and that was not intentional, but I've just the nautical terms are so they've wormed their way and he is staying on as a defensive line coach and I think associate head coach at Florida State. Lane Kiffin had his introductory press conference, had a couple of solid goofs. I don't know if you sign any
of that. Somebody asked him about being greeted on the tarmac with you know, babies to kiss, and he said a lot better than last time at tarmac, A lot better than last time. So talked about previously owning some really nice suits and then he got he got fat at Alabama his words, gained a bunch of weight, That's what he talked about. This is not me editorializing. So they filled up like the basketball Jim. I think it
was a looked like a pep rally. So there's excitement, there's optimism in Oxford and the lane train has pulled in. I know you're I wouldn't say happy, but you are intrigued at the prospect of Penn State having a new offensive coordinator with Ricky Ronnie going over to the Monarchs of.
ODU, potentially additioned by subtraction here with Ricky Ronnie taking the old Dominion job. I talked about it on the last podcast. There are a great many Penn State fans who are pleased with this announcement and curious to see what Penn State does. There's a lot of scuttle but that they're going to promote from within, but I think I think it'll be a welcome change.
Welcome change.
So a little bit of stale play calling a time, some questionable stuff that didn't improve from year one to year two under Ricky Ronnie. So we'll see which direction James Franklin decides to go. But as Penn State alum and part time Penn State fan, I'm pretty pleased with this.
Any Sam Pittman thoughts, I'm asking you about a notable position coach, not somebody who has been a recent coordinator or head coach at a major place. But if you've watched any video of him, he seems excitable. He seems enthusiastic, and his track record as an offensive line coach and his track record in Fayetteville should mean that he I would imagine there's excitement around Arkansas recruiting. It's I mean signing days in like a week and a half. So let's relax with this here.
But moving forward, here's my question about the Sam Pittman move. Since he was there under Brett Bilma, Yeah, is this signaling that they want to get back to the heyday of Brett Bieloma at Arkansas? I bring Sam Pittman.
Do I think they want to get back to the heyday of protecting quarterbacks and opening up holes for running backs, whatever system that looks like. Because by the end of his tenure there, and obviously Sam Pittman left early, Arkansas was throwing the ball a lot. It was not necessarily lining up a fullback every time and mashing it three yards at a time. So Arkansas tried to evolve the hired dan Enos. Obviously it didn't fully work out, but they did try to bring their offense into a bit
of a more modern look. I think the Sam Pittman hire is good. Obviously, anybody reacting to these hires without looking at how they fill out their staffs and how they recruit for like two years, it's going to be premature. Obviously, Arkansas interviewed a number of people, they had conversations with people, and Sam Pittman probably was not the number one guy
on their list. Maybe he was, who's to say. But in any case, I'm intrigued by it because I think there there is some coach onus to him in that there is enthusiasm that he's not trying to be polished. I like it. So hopefully it works out. He's gotten his Now he gets a shot at a pretty major coaching job, and Arkansas moves forward. Eli Drinkwitz only at
app State for a year. He's been around though, he was you know Boise, he was at Arkansas State and obviously NC State, so you imagine his coaching network is pretty good if he's not a complete awful person, and Miszoo is a place where a good coach can win. The SEC East is not chalk full of killers, so we'll see. I think I think he's pretty well regarded, and I'm rooting for Mazoo to improve after what they put on the field this year, So we'll see it.
The one year thing is it feels like he's, you know, grabbing the opportunity while he can no.
Fair enough, fair enough, and Jeff Scott coming over from Clemson I think is notable. Willy Taggart was rumored for that job, wasn't he He was?
I mean, he had rumored interest. I don't know if everything was mutual at every high place within USF, but you know, it'll be interesting to see where Willy Taggart falls moving forward in the coaching ranks, sure, and otherwise I don't know if there's anything. I mean, the Jeff's got things interesting. Obviously, He's helped to develop a ton of excellent receivers while while at Clemson is well regarded, was making I think seven figures as a co offensive
coordinator with Tony Elliott. So it's been a while since we've seen anybody get poached from that Clemson staff. So I suppose somebody like Jeff Scott was waiting for the right opportunity, and certainly you can win pretty big at USF as we've seen recently.
In some other transfer news, Jake Bentley, formerly of South Carolina, of course got hurt. He is making the move over to Utah. Just announced it before we hit the record button tonight.
Yeah, it makes sense. Obviously, there is going to be a quarterback competition in Salt Lake City, and the development of Tyler Huntley certainly makes Utah an attractive destination. They lose a blue chip quarterback last year to transfer. I think he ended up at Indiana, So yeah, has an opportunity to step in and helm which should once again be a pretty good offense.
Also, Jordan Love is pondering his next to move. He's looking at Oklahoma, looking at Houston, and of course looking at rejoining his old coach Matt Wells at Texas Tech.
Yeah, we saw not this obviously, not twenty nineteen. It was a pretty up and down year for him. Considered to be second or third tier draft quarterback. He probably needs to show out better than he did this year, so it makes sense. Coaches left where he had success a couple of years ago, and he can be pretty high level. I don't know if Oklahoma is going to
again do the one year thing with a quarterback. They've got a couple good ones waiting, but place like Texas Tech with the injury issues and the health issues Alan Bowman has had Houston, we don't know what exactly is going to happen with Derek King. All signs point to him returning, but not official. So he's I mean, he's a good quarterback when he is the right system and the right coaches.
And finally, your four Heisman finalists have been announced. Joe Burrow, Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts, and Chase Young. Anyone else that should be on that list? Daniel that isn't I think JK.
Dobbins had a wonderful year, but adding a third Ohio State player seems kind of like overkill. So no, I don't know, is there anybody for you? Travis y Kann had a marvelous year, but he wasn't counted on because they just blue teams that just invite Joe Burrow. He's gonna win. He's gonna win. The Jonathan Taylor tailback put up a bunch.
Of two hundred yards JTT going there. There are other names around college football that had remarkable seasons, and if they were recognized by being a Heisman finalist, I'd be cool with it. But you know how I feel about the Heisman. I've never been a huge fan of the Heisman Trophy. I don't really care who doesn't win. Joe Burrow is very clearly going to win this year, so if he were the only one invited, I'd be fine with it.
Yeah, I think that's correct. I mean, Trevor Lawrence. There's a pretty clear case that any conversation about the best players is actually offensive skill players that doesn't involve Trevor Lawrence seems incomplete. But he struggled early on in the year. He was certainly Heisman esque his last whatever seven or eight games.
He's Heisman caliber for sure. Yeah, Heisman caliber for sure. He's probably a top five pick next year.
But Chuba Hubbard goes for almost two thousand. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, we're just naming very good, not necessarily with a running back. I do like to see some sort of all purpose contribution. And I don't have Chuba Hubbard's receiving numbers or return numbers in front of me. If he really contributed there but didn't stand out like a Christian McCaffrey, I would say, shall we get to our first game of the evening, Daniel, Let's get to the
first game. Our first game is titled it's hard to say out loud, Arcabolagore year Here it just means more. I love that sound. I'm playing anything, Sorry please here here Here its.
More beautiful, Daniel, How does this game work?
So ty? When we are you and I sailing to a cluster of islands, we need to prioritize our itinerary. So basically, if we are imagining the bowl lineup as a cluster of islands, cluster of islands Micronesia, somewhere in the South Pacific, maybe the Philippines, we have to figure out where we want to hop on and hop off. Sure, we have to figure out the importance of one what we care about and two who actually cares more in the game. Hence the here it it matters more just
what is it? What does she say? You might have to play it again. It just means more. Well, let's let's listen again. Just means more here, here, here, it just means just means more. Dan. Okay, so this is a talking point we have every year. And oh well, yes, obviously Auburn lost to UCF, but they didn't really care. They lost the SEC championship games, so you see, have cared more. Obviously, Alabama didn't care about beating Utah in the Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl didn't want
to be there, right. I understand that from a human perspective that sometimes it's tough to really give you all when you're disappointed about where you are in the bowl lineup. But I don't think that's everything. I think teams try. This is when and even though bowls and bowl results don't necessarily matter for future results, perhaps as we saw
with Texas last year in the Sugar Bowl. Correct, Correct, a lot of these games are on TV when no other games are, and so they do matter in that this is a showcase for a lot of players who perhaps have not had a ton of attention, a lot of teams, a lot of coaches. Now we have interim coaches, we have players sitting out, you know, we have disappointment. We have overly excitable teams because of where they ended
up and who they might be playing. So all that is true, I think we should go and look at games and single out teams who to us should be caring more than the other team or should be carrying less based on circumstance, and figure out going into bull season instead of doing it after the fact. Yes, this team is going to depth care more or less. You are a speaking my language dog, Yes I am. I knew you'd like this. You are speaking my language.
As we get into our official Bowl preview or we start assigning confidence points to some of these results, I have a formula that I stick to religiously, and I'm real big on this. I am big on teams that are motivated going into bull season, teams that maybe have a little bit more to play for, even if they are a dog, I will tend to favor that team over a more established blue blood program if I feel like they've just got more to play for. It's more,
there's more on the line for them, right there. Just means more, thank you. There are countless examples of teams who just mail it in in Bowl season, and I'm not right all the time, but it's a primary component in my off season formula. So I did give some thought to this. You want to you want to start start hammering.
Well, let me say this. Let me start here. Generally speaking, here, it just means more. It just means zero played again, why not? Very stupid. It's later than usual, safe harbor. It just means more.
So I will generally strike any team that lost a coach. Okay, any team that lost a coach. There are one or two notable exceptions this year, one being Washington. They haven't lost Chris Peterson's the it's his final game, so I think there'll probably be an emotional angle there that I wouldn't want to overlook.
And it's against Boise State. Be a very poetic way to finish out his coaching career if this is indeed the end.
The other one I was looking at was Florida State. Okay, and right now ASU is favored over Florida State in the Sun Bowl. Mee, Tony the Tiger sun Bull. Excuse me, Nay, Yeah, I feel like people are overvaluing ASU. They have all year, and maybe in this game as well. I could see Florida State getting up for that one. Those are the two games where I'm willing to look past coaching changes. But in almost every other case, I dock that team
a little bit going into bull season. It's just a little bit of a different mindset going into Bull season knowing that you're going to be losing your coach.
It's difficult to mine for Bill Stewart's May he rest in peace. Doesn't mean I'm picking against app State. I still the gap States the better team. They're not going to lose.
But that's the first thing I look at. The second thing I tend to look at is teams that felt like they got better from the start of the year to the end of the year, particularly teams that played really well down the stretch. So Tennessee might fit that Mold Tennessee really came on second half.
Of the year. Don't want to give them a look. Yeah, absolutely, you're a big believer in the disproven element of momentum. Yes, exactly.
To the contrary, Let's take a look at what happened at Miami. Okay, Miami's going up against Louisiana Tech. Currently they're a touchdown favorite. Do you feel good about the way Miami closed out its season?
No, I mean, Miami is your classic, Like, how far back do we have to look to find a Miami bold dud of a performance when they just want the season to be over? Oh just last year, Oh just in the pin stright.
Miami ran out of gas a mile ago and have coasted, yeah, all the way through the end of the season. So I don't need to go into elaborate detail here, but I think you understand the cut of my jib here.
I think Charlotte is going to be quite excited to go to the Bahamas their first Bowl game first year for Will Healy shows up in this is the This is the Bahamas Bulls, the first one December twentieth, shows up to announce to the team in their meeting room in like a maskin snorkel and a tank top and
the flippers. They're excited to go to the Bahamas. Get they might get trucked by Buffalo, It's entirely possible, but they are the clear more excited team after Buffalo went to the MAC Championship last year and had a down year this year, losing a couple of key players on offense. I think that's right, fau SMU. The only thing I will circle about SMU is, I will always treasure SMU
in a bowl game, even though they got murdered. When it happened when Sunny Dyke's was hired once Chad Morris left, they did get murdered, and he was like, I mean, I'm free if you want me to coach. My schedule's pretty open. And they proceeded to get murdered. But I do respect that, So I think SMU is probably in a better place than FAU. Without laying I would agree with that that falls under your coach and Corel one hundred percent.
Let me posit a different theory for you. Okay, which team was on the precipice of qualifying for the College Football Playoff and faltered?
Uh? Utah, Utah Utes, Baylor Bears. Now I'm talking to Utah. You got it right the first Oh Utah. Okay, there were a couple of teams that you know, figured they had a shot organ of the week before.
Yeah, Utah going to the Alamo Dome, San Antonio squaring off against Texas. Utah is favored by seven in that game. But okay, the proverbial wind I'm assuming is out of their sales now after not having made playoff. They're going to the Alamo Bowl, which is a fun bowl game, but it lacks the appeal of obviously being in the final four. Meanwhile, Texas is in a spot where they can play giant killer Utah's defense man.
That's such a weird way to define this matchup. Texas going in there is just like the gutty little underdog, the scrappy gym rats, just trying to make a name for themselves. They're seven and five. You're not. You're positioning Texas in maybe a slightly disingenuous way, That's what I'm saying.
I'm trying to sell the twos cruise. Damn'm trying to similar tenders to get a board the twos cruise.
Utah looked terrible last year against Northwestern in San Diego. If that means anything too, it does just means more. Actually, I mean they also looked very bad last year in the PAC twelve championship game, So I don't know, maybe it's another carryover for the Utes.
I'm just curious to see how Utah looks in that game, curious to see if they can get their head on straight.
By the way, along the coaching lines of Texas Utah. We do know that Tom Herman gets jacked up for bowl games. Oh yeah, we saw all the arguing against Miszoo two three years ago. We saw it last year. You know the excitement obviously with how well Texas played against Georgia. So there is that element where there is a strong possibility that Texas has an up and down year. They beat a playoff adjacent Utah, and everybody's like, all right, Tom Herman is going to hire a couple of great
coordinators there. The feeling is great on the forty Acres again, it feels like just a natural thing to happen.
I'll tell you the natural trap for me. The natural trap for me is in the Outback Bowl. It's Minnesota and it's Auburn. Auburn is favored by seven and a half. And I was in a similar situation a year ago where Perdue made the Music City Bowl, also played against Auburn, and I remember thinking, I remember and you cautioned me against this, Yeah, but I remember thinking Perdue is going to be way more into this game than Auburn. What
does Auburn care about paying about playing Purdue? And in my confidence, but I didn't put a whole lot of points on it, but I took Purdue straight up.
Yeah, they lost six, three.
To fourteen in that game, Dan, I was dead wrong. So maybe not a testament to my little formula here, but it was fun while it lasted.
Sometimes there is an element of does one team have players who are way way better, right, and that should be considered in matchups like that. How do we feel about Michigan Alabama? I think Alabama will blow the doors off of them. I think, I agree, I think, and it's it helps that and if you remember Alabama, I think faced off against Michigan State in was it a Capital One Bowl a while back, and it was like a forty one to seven game. Now starting quarterback I
presume was healthy. I think the fact that it is Michigan and it's not I'm going to be terribly insulting to somebody, so I'll just you know, it's not Minnesota, where I think it would be more difficult for Alabama to get up for a game like that. The fact that Jim Harbaugh is on the other sideline, that there are NFL players on the Michigan defense, the fact that there are top flight receivers really on both teams, but
on Michigan wearing you know, Mason blue. I think that makes it easier, even though Alabama certainly had designs of going to the playoff with Tua. Right, So I still think Alabama's up for this game, and I still think they're comfortably better. So did I play this game correctly?
I'm not sure. Oh it's unclear, But I mean, just going through if I just name teams and I won't put you on the spot, you know too dramatically here with you know, teams from very different conferences, but like North Carolina Temple right, year one of Rod Carey for Temple, certainly a lot of changes in Philly, North Carolina probably happy to be in a bowl game after taking some years off. Larry Fedora. It feels like, I mean, it's what it's in Maryland, so you can get a lot
of Tar Heel fans there. I feel like North Carolina is probably the happier team. There's excitement about Sam Howell and Mac Brown agreed, agreed, and it should be a nice matchup North Carolina's offense against Temple's defense. Oklahoma State, Texas A and m who is super into going to Houston for all the way from college Station, Texas and still Water, Oklahoma. Is Oklahoma State happy with you know, they lose a couple, you know, big players in Spencer Sanders,
Tylan Wallace. Texas A and M very difficult schedule bright spots. Is it difficult for Texas A and M to go against a former Big twelve opponent of theirs and essentially play in Texas A and M suburbs?
I think A and M is going to drill Oklahoma State. Ooh, I like that they are going to drill Oklahoma State. I've been waiting for this Bowl matchup, not specifically against Oklahoma State, but facto home game.
Well the facto home game.
But I've been waiting for A and M's matchup because we knew this going into the year that their schedule was gangbusters. They had to have a miracle season to put together like a nine win year five. They fell now to the Texas Bowl, and I was ready willing and able to bet pretty much sight unseen on A and M regardless of who they played. So Oklahoma State, they'll have their work cutout for him trying to stop
Chewba Hubbard. But I think A and M's one of, if not the best seven to five teams in the country.
The Holiday Bowl features an Iowa team who year and in year out, you seem to know what you're getting from them, top flight defense, maybe a couple offensive playmakers, but in a system that's not terrific. And a USC team who finished the year with two very different emotions or at least on the field, a ton of confidence and yardage and points blowing out their rival. I mean, we're really scoring a ton of points on the rival.
I think they finished winning what five of six off They have the best true freshman quarterback in the country. Probably maybe it's a conversation between Sam Howel and Keaton Slovas.
See I I think USC is the perfect storm of Bowl success here because not only did they meet one of my first qualifiers there where they got better, I think they got better down the stretch ket and Slovas surely did. And secondly, I think they get a little bit of a boost knowing that they're not losing their coach, They're retaining Clay Helton. I think if you're on the team, you feel good about that.
No one on the Tian Merrill's poking around, though, well, I'm still uncertainty with what the what the coaching staff is going to look like as a whole.
There is uncertainty, but they're keeping the head guy, and I think that's reason for optimism here in this game. I was only a one point favorite. Vegas is every bit is confused about this game, as the rest of US. I did make my picks, I didn't go through them.
I haven't done that yet.
I put a whole lot of research in but at at first blush, I'm going USC.
Here's your I'm looking this up as we are doing this. Iowa against Big ten teams, the number five team in the country, opposing quarterback rating. Change it to FBS winning teams thirty seventh. Yeah, so hard to fully gauge what Iowa's pass defense is going to look like against a pretty good USC team. But either way, I think that's actually one of my nine or ten Bowl games I'm
looking forward to most, maybe even higher. I agree. So I think Iowa actually is happier to be there than USC, just because of all the noise surrounding USC, even though they know the Trojans finished the year a pretty exciting way. Notre Dame Iowa State. Yeah, where's the care factor for you? There? Iowa State. I hype them up as much as I
possibly could. They come up short a couple times where they really had a chance to win nine or ten games, taking on a Notre Dame team who seems to be happy with their ten and two year and being competitive against good against everybody, essentially, So, what are your thoughts. Notre Dame had quietly a very very November. They did.
By the time the calendar turned to November, they had kind of fallen off the national radar, and so I don't know if that got as much coverage as it deserved. But they played really well. Ian book looked pretty good. I think they're better top to bottom than Iowa State. Iowa State's going to test them through the air, and it figures to be a fun game. Notre Dame is only about a field goal favorite going into this one.
I don't know if this one really checks any of the boxes in terms of an advantage for one team or the other. I think both teams will be up playing in this game.
Notre Dame beating Iowa State is not a, you know, a thing to take into the off season. The way that Iowa State beating Notre Dame is it isn't.
But I don't think Notre Dame is going to be so let down that they come out and put in a bad showing.
The red box ball. Oh yeah, you want to talk is Oregon back in this game? Unfortunately, Oregon's going to a startup game called the was Abel. I'm reading that incorrectly. Florida Virginia, we don't need to talk about the red box now.
Sorry.
Florida Virginia to me is interesting, Okay, Why well, I don't think Virginia really thought they stood much of a chance against Clemson. They make it to a New Year six Bowl, Florida should beat the doors off of them. I would think so, yes, But there is an element of Florida seeing their opponent and saying it's we're talking about an acc coastal team that didn't really do much to separate themselves from anybody else in the coastal. It's
not a headline program. It's not as if Florida got to play against Baylor, which is a weird thing to say, or Florida's not getting to play against usc even where it's just like, oh, this is like a cool thing that there's a bunch of super duper high level players on the field that are going to be NFL type players. Florida's not playing Wisconsin, They're not playing Michigan like they did last year and blew them out. So I don't know this one. To me, I think Virginia is going
to care more. I would agree with you on that one. Yeah, Florida's not traveling away from their home state, which I know is no new thing for the Gators. I don't know. I think Virginia definitely cares and wants to be there more. I think it just means more to the Who's what about Georgia Baylor.
Oh, I'm not excited to watch the game and I think it's gonna be very defensive minded, but it is notable. Of course, it's a New Year's six game, so that's one thing. Secondly, as we talked about on the Sunday Show, first Sugar Bowl since nineteen fifty seven for Baylor, I think Matt Rule will have them fired up.
Oh yeah.
And on the other side, it's interesting because didn't Georgia lose in the Sugar Bowl last year to Texas. They did, so perhaps a redemption spot for the Bulldogs.
Yep, but they want to be in the PLAYFF right, they were the number four team.
So I guess what I'm asking is which do you trust in more Baylor's excitement about being there or the redemption spot for Georgia not wanting to be in a situation like they were last year when they dropped one against Texas.
Yeah, but nobody talked about the Sugar Bowl against Texas basically once the season started. That's just sort of an off season narrative thing. I don't think there is a revenge spot element of Georgia wanting to beat the Big twelve team in the same bowl game they were in last year. It's it's Baylor, the care factors Baylor. The only difference to me is are Georgia's players so much better and more talented than Baylor's that it doesn't make
a difference. I like Baylor because of the care factor here, but I haven't really gone in deep but in terms of just pure cares, my.
Answer this game was one that I was truly on the fence about, and I think Georgia is the better team. The players are better. If I were betting this game in Week three, I would one hundred percent go Georgia. But there are other factors at play when you get into the postseason, and the care factor I think looms large. Maybe debunked Dan, but yeah, it is something that I pay attention to.
I have my own system that I will reveal once we start picking the games, excell or the pick and pool. My final question to you is Indiana, Tennessee and the Gator Bowl in a beautiful tropical Jacksonville, Florida. Man, I have no idea.
So I talked about Tennessee before Tennessee got better as the year war on. Yeah, Indian has been pretty good totally the full way through. Their issue was that they ran into a bunch of buzzsaws back.
To back to back. Yeah, and Penn State and Penn State thank you. So it's a good football team, uh huh.
I think at this point maybe more of a proven entity just as a team. I just want care factor. Who wants twenty nineteen more. I still think it's Indiana against an SEC team. Raw.
I think both these teams are like pumped to be in a bowl game, to finish their season and to have the success and how competitive they were. Yeah, I think everybody wants this for the first time being Jacksonville fair enough, What is our next game? I was that was my last one that I was curious care factor wise. But if you have any others that jump out to you to mention nothing that Minnesota wants to be in the Outback Bowl more than Auburn.
Definitely, But I don't want to talk about that game that could that could really ruin things for me.
Oregon Wisconsin feels pretty equal, right, oh, Wisconsin lost playoff design. I have no idea who I'm picking in that game. Oregon goes four and eight two years ago, three years ago, whatever it was, and now here they are on the Rose Bowl. I think they're pretty pumped. All right, Dan, what's our what's our last game? Here? Seven? I don't have a sound for this, and this is slightly forced pun wise, but it's called or not or a r both ors in the water, and so I just have
this is a conventional wisdom game. Because we have reached the end of our pre bowl season, I guess the regular season short of Army Navy, excuse me, So first question, I got five of these. So upon reflection, we've seen another select committee make their their top four picks. So winning your conference ty your Power five conference, should it be a college football playoff prerequisite? Now? I think six
years in or something or not a prerequisite. Yes. So we've seen We've seen Alabama get in without winning their conference and even their division. We've seen instances and conversations around it doesn't matter what happened, like you said yourself, matter what would happen in the Big Ten championship game. Ohio State should be in. They ended up taking care of business. But should that actually be It's a very popular thing to say, win your conference and then you
can get into the playoff. No. No, I said it like a week ago.
I said that if LSU lost, I could definitely see them still being in.
I said it.
About, well, you could see them being Ohio State. I thought Ohio State was in regardless. I thought that was the right call.
They were. I'm not so good all year. I'm not asking you to appraise what the committee will do. I am saying the tie rule of law, the tie law, if you will, Okay, sure you see what I did. I like it. It's a football joke that I didn't pre plan. Just it's later than usual. That's what happened, thy law. Where where do you stand? I'm fine? You're in charge. I'm fine with it. Okay, totally fine. That has proven themselves in your mind, but has not won
their conference. I don't have a strong thought about this. I try to have as strong a take as possible about as much as I can in the sport. I'd prefer it. I would definitely prefer it. I would.
I would prefer it too. I'm not going to be closed minded. If they ever were to expand to eight teams, then it would be a prerequisite. Then if you win your conference, you're in. But help us for now, I'm okay with the committee deciding who it feels the best four teams are, regardless.
You have a preferred eight team model like five conference champions, G five and two wild cards. That's what I prefer. That's almost exactly it. Yeah, okay, the next or or or not the Big twelve is heading back to wide open quarterback and offensive excitement any given week or maybe not so. These past few years, we've had Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Will Greery and Rudolph I'm forgetting a number.
You know, Sam Ellinger has been involved in shootouts, and we've had great receivers at Oklahoma State we've had even Kansas State, it's involved in occasional shootouts, and we've had big time quarterbacks and we don't know what to expect. You know, in Bedlam and Baylor, TCU, Bryce Petty, Tremon Boyken, Kenny Trill, all these guys were capable of putting forty five on the scoreboard in any given week. That wasn't the case this year in the Big Twelve. No, not
at all. And a lot of that has to do with new coaches and scheme changes and year one of a lot of action and you know, some disappointment from teams. Do you see us getting back to that level with the addition of Matt Wells and Chris Cleman and Neil Brown and Les Miles. Do we see part two of that? When so much of this conference is reliant on Texas for talent?
Oh man, I see it by maybe four teams at the top. But Patrick Mahomes and person, sure, sure, yeah, I see it by maybe four teams in in the Big Twelve, certainly Oklahoma and Texas and Oklahoma State and maybe Baylor if they can get their act together. Is in that conversation Texas Tech was many wrong things this year, but they were a lot of fun to watch an offense.
They were kind of they were without their starting quarterback too.
Yeah, without their starting quarterback, Alan Bowmen British comedy legend Alan Bowa. But wow, are we getting back? That's sort of a loaded question. Are we getting back to wide open Big twelve football?
Yeah? I say no. I say no. I expect West Virginia to keep improving on offense, but they had a singular offensive mind in Dana Holgerson for a long time, built up a system, recruited Florida really well. I don't. I think Neil Brown's good, but I don't think they have an offensive mind like Dana Holgerson. I think Oklahoma State will be pretty good, but I don't. You know, again, they had Dana Holgerson as well. They Mike You're sick. They tend to hire pretty well. So I think they're
still going to be pretty good Oklahoma. I don't have concerns about Texas. Will see if they get Graham Harrell. If they get Graham Harrell, Texas, yes, will will be on that level in terms of being able to put forty on anybody. But I don't think Matt Rule is going to get to that point with Baylor just because I don't think he really fancies that style.
No, No, that's a defense first right program down there.
I don't think Less Miles and Kansas are going to get to that point. I don't think Kansas State is going to try and the way that Matt Rule has not tried to have that wide, wide open offense. So I think it's going to be an adjusted era of Big twelve football. It could be an era with more defense.
Yeah, and you know, if football cyclical, that would be a nice change of pace with Big twelve.
Because you notice I didn't mention TC. I noticed a lot of Kith right now? Next or not Georgia and its offense. Did they simply run into an LSU juggernaut or are there serious problems? They were able to get by with defense pretty much all year or all year. I mean, they lost South Carolina, but it wasn't because of a horrible defense. Wow, is this a significant issue that needs to be addressed given how well they recruit and what we perceived their ceiling to be because of
their athletic level. Their athletic level is ridiculous. Sure, they have recruited off the charts Kirby Smart has done a remarkable job, but fiftieth in the nation in points per game. I know that's not the only metric, but.
Yeah, I I don't know how I feel about this. I was very underwhelmed by Jake from this year. He did a lot of the right stuff, a lot of his experience, knows where to go at the ball. He's a KG veteran at this point. He's not gonna lose a game for you. But as I think was a parent, especially with so many receivers going down, which wasn't his fault. But when he has to singularly go out there and win a game, I don't know if he's if he if that's like the formula that is gonna do it
for Kirby Smart. This year's offense may have been so underwhelming that it forces him to come back.
James Coley, offensive coordinator, has not really succeeded. No in places that can recruit well and should be putting up top twenty to twenty five offenses nationally.
This was a concern, yeah, about him taking over the offense. So yeah, there's a bit of a track record there.
I think they were fine. They were good under Jim Cheney.
They were really good and good offense, Yeah, really good. So I don't know if it's a scheme thing. It's certainly not a talent thing, so I need more data on this one. They did run into a juggernaut of lsulc's defense played lights out. Nobody is stopping that LSU offense. So did they run into a juggernaut, yes, But are their issues with the offense. I'm inclined to say yeah. I don't think it's anything horrible. I think it's fixable. But at the same time I expected more.
I think there's something wrong with the offense. I think the long stretches they went and whether it was a weather game, whether they did not play a schedule of absolute killers. Defensively, they should be putting forty points on everybody with an experienced quarterback with DeAndre Swift when the and obviously receivers were out and out for parts of the LSU game. They've put together top three recruiting classes. They've had at times nine, ten to eleven blue chip receivers.
If they're not figuring out how to get to forty points, thirty five points, thirty one points, I have them as thirty first in points per drive. That's an issue. It's all about the context of what you're trying to do. Georgia's offense needs a serious revamping. All right, that's next question. The Big Ten second tier. So I have it as Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State. You might have a problem with that because I think there is Ohio State standing alone in the conference. Sure,
as we've seen this Yere. I don't think Minnesota is there yet, just because we'd like to see it over multiple years. Is that trio Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State. Are they closing the Ohio State gap even slightly or not? Really? I'm going to talk specifically about Penn State.
Okay, And Penn State is closing the gap at least in one respect.
Your voice is going up? Is it bey on in one respect?
In one respect? Yeah, and that is recruiting. They're still not recruiting quite as well as Ohio State. Nobody is right.
According to the.
Blue Chip Ratio, Ohio State was first this season, so they're tops in that game. But there is more depth at Penn State than there has almost ever been. The depth of talent that they have that James Franklin has built up is what they're going to need to continue having if they want to seriously challenge Ohio State on the field.
So you need that. They're going to run into that Georgia problem then where they have the talent, but especially on offense, as we saw this year a pretty up and down ride, are they going to like, what are we doing with all this talent? We have kJ Hamler, we can't get him going consistently. We have whoever, Noah Kane, Journey Brown, Johan Dotson, I think justin Shorter left. But you know, there's a lot of talented dudes who can tote the rock and they're not scoring a ton against
decent teams. And then you want to know why I'm glad that Ricky Ronnie took the Monarchs job. Sure there you go, yeah, okay, so you think that's oh that's closing the gap by subtraction.
Well, yes, and no, I'm curious to see what a new Week offense, if there is a Newalk offense, can do for the team next year. They've got a lot coming back. And furthermore, to my larger point here, I just think there's more talent. There's more talent, at least in that respect. They are somewhat closing the gap.
I think the gap is actually closing, and I'm not sure whether it's anything that these three teams are doing. I think just so Ohio State right now is what they have a top what appears to be a top five recruiting class. I presume that's probably gonna hold with how they finish. Ryan Day inherited the world. He absolutely inherited the world, and he brought on a former number one quarterback in the country in Justin Fields. He inherited an All American running back in jk He inherited in
All American Heisman finalist defensive end in Chase Young. He hired really well see if Jeff Hafley six around on that defense. But I think the gap is closing just because it will be pretty much impossible to continue what urban Meyer did in Columbus right, not to say he won't call eleven in one every year, that's entirely possible. I think Ohio State's gonna recruit crazy well still, and
it's going to be a stocked roster. But I think the gap is closing just because it's impossible to say Ohio State is just going to go twelve to zero every year. No, No, I agree, sight unseen. So yeah, I think the GAP's closing a little, but there's still some room.
Yeah, until we see a season in which Ohio State loses to two of these teams, I think they've still got a fair amount of breathing room.
You know, Ohio State plays in week two of next year. Who you're Oregon Ducks and Adsen nice home and home. Yeah, it should be pretty fun. Well week after Oregon plays North Dakota State beautiful. It's terrifying. Final question here? Final or not? You can read it off.
Someone from the PAC twelves middle class Oregon State, Cal Washington, UCLA, or Arizona State, Yeah, can jump up or so a note here, All of those teams that I read, all five of them went four and five.
Yeah, and these are all the teams, all the teams that were within a game of going five hundred. There were no five and four teams. USC I think finished seven to two. And then Oregon in Utah obviously the class of the conference. Are we these are your middle tier teams at least as it stands after twenty nineteen.
Okay, that was gonna be my question because I don't.
Can zoo has been very good.
Yeah, I don't consider Washington to be middle class.
You think they're on the upper tier.
Yes, Okay, it wasn't a great year for them, but I still think the program is in the upper crust of the PAC twelve.
Do you think that they can return to the level they were? What was it twenty sixteen when they went to the playoff? Like consistent double digits. It's Jimmy Lake. We don't know what they're going to look.
Like incomplete hard to say, to say my gut is no right, but I'll be rooting for Jimmy Lake.
UCLA Chip Kelly, Herm Edwards bringing in Hugh Jackson. Cal They lost their offensive coordinator today, Bo Baldwin, I think has taken over reportedly at cal Poly Jonathan Smith and Oregon State coming on strong back half of the season. Yeah. Is there room for one of these teams as you see it? Is there? Do you have confidence in there being room in the VIP room of the PAC twelve.
I'm confident that there's room, but I'm not confident that any of these teams are going to occupy it.
So the other teams that are not mentioned here are the University of Arizona, University of Colorado or yeah, University of Colorado, let's see you, and Wazooka and Stanford. Wow, Stanford. So now are we confident? Are you confident that Stanford just had a disaster of a year or if it's if it's slip time. It was such a disaster of a year for them, wasn't it. Yeah? I think it's slip time for Stanford.
Yeah.
I think we're seeing a ton of transfers. I think there might be leg there may be legs to David Shaw looking at the NFL, I don't know. How do you feel about this question of these five teams specifically, if this is what we're going to consider the mid tier, I don't have a lot of faith. No, I don't have a lot of faith. I think the PAC twelve is going to and you'd be pretty top heavy. I think Oregon State can win seven or eight. I mean,
all these teams could win seven or eight. But in terms of getting back into that exclusive room now, I think it's just USC Utah and Oregon right now that.
I have the only team in here. Big confidence in the only team in this group being that I feel okay about would be Washington, but all the others, Yeah, I feel okay, yeah, I think Washington's as close as it gets. But they're incomplete. It's it's really hard to make that presumption right now.
Incomplete. Okay, Well, there you have it?
Or not?
An archie bolago? Did I say that right? It's like no, it's like an archipelago, so arcabolago.
Here here, here, it just me We love that sound all right? You Well, we will be back on Thursday morning.
Yes, it's going to talk through other news. That's short of break. What are we talking about? Yeah, I had to think about it. Maybe get dive. We'll talk about Army Navy.
We'll talk about some other stuff going on in and around the world of college football.
Not doing the ball preview.
Next episode, but we're gonna get there in a hurry. Yes, be sure to jump on in at solidverbal dot com slash pick them if you want to join the bullpool, or you can go on out to the website. We'll put the link at the very top of solid verbal dot com if you want to get on in, join us in the fun as we pick through all forty one of these football games.
Dan oh, I am, I'm pretty excited. For Bowl season times. Me too. I am. I do some cooking. I'm going down to Florida the family for vacation and to watch some games down there in the sunshine. I need a breather. I need a breather. We've been on this boat. No, I'm hanging out here. What are you doing?
We've been on this boat so damn long, all season, flowing around out here sand ghosts. Yeah, I need to get back on land to just chill. Okay, fair enough, Thank you to one and all for joining us aboard the two his crews here. This is your Captain Tie Hilding brand Captain Tie Hildon Brandt, alongside Lieutenant Captain Dan Rubinstein, Fair winds and following seas will talk to you on Thursday and I Menytimes, stay solid.
Peace